Followers

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Frankly, the above title is just a smart-ass title to get your attention. Indeed, "To Bersih or not to Bersih?" is not the question.

Before we even venture to consider such a question, let us be very clear what Bersih is.

Even in the newer version known as Bersih 2.0, it is still a coalition of non-governmental and civil society organisations that are collectively campaigning for clean, free and fair elections. (It is not a movement to defeat the incumbent government or one to support the election of the opposition.)

If I may put it in more concise terms, Bersih is a non-governmental-civil society coalition working towards electoral and political reforms in Malaysia.

I prefer this description simply because it's less value-laden than the official line, which presumes that Malaysian elections are unclean, unfree and unfair.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Thank you for your letter. It is nice to see that you started your letter with a salam, although in zorro-unmasked.blogspot.com, they took out the earlier parts of your letter.

I would like to make a few comments.

Like you, I am not for race-based political parties. I have, on many occasions, in my blog, full page ads, and talks, proposed that BN and PR slowly but surely work to make themselves one big party each which is non-race or religion based.

Like you, I too believe strongly that all socioeconomic policies must be based on needs, not race or religion.

I also agree that truth has been manipulated by people in power and some have used race wrongly to divide our country for the purpose of clinging onto power. I see this in both in BN and in the opposition.

I’m glad that we are on the same page on the new found cordiality between DAP and PAS.

On your question if I have forgotten YB Karpal Singh and the other races in DAP, I have not. Perhaps it was my mistake not to clearly state that my letter was a response to the DAP’s specific endeavor to focus and attract Malay membership. That is why in the letter I only focus on the DAP and the Malays.

A few weeks ago, the respected Tunku Abd Aziz lamented that he has failed to bring in Malay support. The DAP also launched Roketkini.com with the purpose of engaging the Malay segment. Thus my letter was a response on how the DAP can get Malay support and become multiracial.

For your information, YB Karpal Singh is one of my favourite politicians. I admire his stance on anti-frogging. If you browse through my blog, on many occasions I have supported him.

I have to respectfully disagree with you that the only legitimate natives are the Orang Asli and the indigenous people of Sabah and Sarawak. The Malay stock is an entity that includes the inhabitants of the whole Malay Archipelago, including the Phillipines and Indonesia. A biography of Jose Rizal by Rafael Palma lauded him as ‘The Pride of the Malay Race’, though he had Chinese blood and was a Christian.

The early inhabitants of the Malay Archipelago came in waves of migration between about 3000 to 1500 years ago. The first theory is that they originated from Indochina, flowed down the Peninsula and then crossed to the islands of Sumatra, Borneo and the Phillipines. The second theory is they originated from South China and moved across to Borneo and the Phillipines. These theories are based on archaeological evidence. This you can read from former PKR deputy president Dr. Syed Husin Ali’s book, ‘The Malays – Their Problems and Future’. He writes that the people living in the Peninsula for thousands of years are undoubtedly the true ancestors of the present-day Malays, the Neolithic groups often being described as Proto-Malays.

The book ‘The Malay Archipelago’ was published by Alfred Russel Wallace in 1869. Wallace was a naturalist who is best known for independently proposing the theory of evolution that Charles Darwin later published. ‘The Malay Archipelago’ is an account of Wallace’s scientific exploration through the archipelago from 1854-1862, where he found more than a thousand species new to science in the zoogeographical boundary now known as theWallace line. It was this exploration that gave him his insight on natural selection. ‘The Malay Archipelago’ was one of the most popular journals of scientific experiment in the 19th century.

However, in no way I will condone anyone who says that the non-Malays after 1957 are ‘pendatang’. Those are bigots and we cannot allow them to hurt the non-Malays like that.

I agree with you that our history text books are myopic. They do not highlight all the great contributions of the non-Malays towards this wonderful land of ours. I am glad that there is a group of people who are now remedying this.

I also respectfully do not agree with you that the Malays did not have any other choice in sharing Tanah Melayu. They could have decided to go to war but they did not. That is because by nature, they are gracious. By saying the Malays are gracious, in no way do I mean that other cultures are not. I believe those who have lived among Malays would understand what I mean by the Malays being gracious.

On the point of who is the one to have disrespected Malay rulers, I am not going to debate whether it is UMNO or not. I am not from UMNO; you may want to deal with them directly.

On the point that DAP has to say thank you to the Malays, please understand that the purpose of this suggestion is to help DAP win the hearts of the Malays. You need to understand that in Malay culture, when you say sorry and thank you, it is the Malay culture to return it. I have strong convictions that if the DAP says thank you, the Malays will say thank you in return.

In no way would I suggest that we should not say thank you to all Malaysians, especially those who pay taxes. In my open letter I was talking specifically to DAP and addressing their endeavour to attract Malays into their fold.

Personally I do not know if YB Lim Guan Eng understands the Malays, but it is obvious that the DAP does not understand Malay sentiments. The recent refusal of Sarawak DAP to use the songkok in the Sarawak assembly is a case in point. I also do not think the DAP understands that for the Malays, even if you give them food, shelter, money and everything else, it counts for nothing unless you respect their adat. It counts for nothing unless you respect their culture. The Malay pepatah – ‘biar mati anak, jangan mati adat’ explains the position of the core Malay group.

Your comments on not understanding what I meant in my letter by practicing Malay adat and peribahasa shows that you do not really understand what is important to the Malays. At the same time however, I agree it is of course good to concentrate on the social needs of the community.

Again it seems that you do not understand Malay adat. When I urged the DAP to apologize, it is not the kind of apology that has to be warranted which you are talking about. Malays will apologize without asking why. They will just apologize. If you do not understand this, read my letter again – I wrote that the Malays will say sorry even if they did no wrong. For the fact that you asked this question on the reasons behind saying sorry, you do not truly understand the Malays.

I did not advocate Malay supremacy. I advocated the historical understanding of the transformation of this land. In no way do I consider the Malays as more supreme than any other culture. All cultures are equal in the eyes of God. But in Malaysia I will put pre-eminence to the Malay and native cultures of Sabah and Sarawak. But in no way would I like to live without the Chinese and Indian cultures around me. My love for these cultures perhaps surpasses many of the people from the cultures themselves.

On YB Lim Kit Siang, my suggestion that YB Lim Kit Siang resigns is in context of DAP seriously wanting to attract the Malays. I apologize, I’m in a hurry to help create a non-race based political party, and I see YB Lim Kit Siang’s current active involvement in the DAP as a stumbling block. In no way did I mean disrespect. It is just politics. The Malays will not throng into the DAP as long as YB Lim Kit Siang is still actively involved. That is the Malay sentiment.

The reason why I suggested a merger between the DAP and PKR and not DAP and PAS is simple. Both DAP and PKR have a multiracial make up. PAS is Islamist. Until they change their stance, a merger would be very difficult. As I stated earlier, I for one would jump for joy if two main parties would dissolve internal sub-parties and merge together.

Alas, my letter to YB Lim Guan Eng is a respond to DAP’s own endeavor in engaging the Malay segment of the population. Tunku Aziz seems to not have an answer to the problem. I am providing some possibilities. If the DAP is serious and smart (which I do think they are, judging by what they are doing in Penang) , they should test my ideas with the Malay market. Ask the core Malay group that they have failed to attract if this chap Anas got it right.

Once they have the feedback, they can adjust their policies and actions to their own benefit. Failing which, DAP will remain as a party that is dependent on the pendulum swings on Malaysian politics. DAP cannot rule the country with their fixed deposit voters mainly from the Chinese segment of the Malaysian rakyat.

Lastly, Brother Commander (Rtd) S. Thayaparan, I would like to thank you for engaging and disagreeing with my letter in a most empathetic manner. You did not resort to demonizing me, name-calling, or playing God, pretending to know what is in my heart. For that I respect you. It is people like you that we need more of, to make this country a better place - people who know how to agree to disagree; people with care and love; people with the consciousness of God in their hearts.

I would love to have teh tarik with you and discuss more on how we can make this country a better place.

By law I am Malay, by ancestry I am a mixed Malay-Arab, by choice I am a malaysian but in the heart I belong to A Human Race :)

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

It is a pity that almost 54 years after Merdeka there is still a great deal of uneasiness among the authorities about a fundamental right which is so essential to the functioning of a democracy. They forget that the “right to assemble peaceably and without arms” is a freedom enshrined in Article 10 of the Malaysian Constitution. It is a freedom whose observance will not, in most circumstances, threaten the well-being of society.

Nonetheless, like all rights and freedoms, the actual expression and articulation of the Freedom of Assembly has to take into account its context. It is this context that is critical in the case of the planned ‘July 9 Rally.’There are various dimensions to this context which Bersih, the proponent of the rally, and Perkasa and UMNO Youth, its opponents, will have to take heed of.

Issues.

1)Bersih claims that the primary purpose of the rally is to highlight weaknesses and defects in the conduct of our elections. Since it has had discussions with the Elections Commission on this it should continue to talk to that body. The Chairman of the Commission is prepared to dialogue. He should now publicly invite Bersih to resume the discussions, its July 9 rally notwithstanding.Bersih, in turn, should respond positively to the Commission. In a mature democracy any and every opportunity to dialogue in order to resolve issues should be taken up.

2)Some of the issues that Bersih has focussed upon such as the automatic registration of voters(which I endorse) are beyond the purview of the Elections Commission. They would require legislative approval. If Bersih cannot persuade the BarisanNasional(BN)government to introduce new electoral laws, has it succeeded in getting Pakatan Rakyat(PR) MPs to table a private member’s bill on any of the electoral reforms it is now demanding? On how many occasions have such bills been tabled since March 2008? Were attempts to table such bills thwarted by the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat? Since Bersih includes opposition parties represented in Parliament, it should inform the public in detail on how it sought electoral reform through Parliament in the last three years.

3)In making its demands, Bersihhas not distinguished the actual conduct of elections from the larger electoral-cum-political process. The actual conduct of elections in Malaysia since 1959, from the maintenance of electoral rolls to safeguardingthe integrity of the ballot paper,has been largely fair and just---- given that no electoral system in the world is totally devoid of flaws. This was one of the conclusions that the Election Watch group headed by the late Tun Mohamed SuffianHashim that looked at the 1990 General Election

(I was a member of that group) came to. We also pointed out that the lack of fairness in the electoral-political process was manifested in the incumbent’s misuse of state facilities for campaign purposes and in the biased role of the mainstream media. Since these very legitimate concerns have not been addressed, Bersih has every reason to raise them.

4)If Bersih is sincere about rectifying them, the political parties who are in the forefront of this coalition, should set the example in the states which are under PR rule by ensuring that state facilities are not misused in any election or by-election. And yet, in by-elections in Selangor, Penang and Kedah, it is alleged that the state government had deployed some of the resources of the state, directly and indirectly, for their campaigns. Similarly, if Bersih wants equitable access to BNinclined print and electronic media, it should also encourage opposition oriented online newspapers to be fair and balanced in their coverage and analysis of political issues. After all, cyber media in Malaysia today is an important source of information--- and disinformation.

5)While some of Bersih’s demands are reasonable, its failure to locate these demands withina larger framework has tarnished its credibility.For all the shortcomings in its electoral system, Malaysia is one of the few countries in the Global South that has held regular elections participated by parties with totally divergent ideologies ever since Independence in 1957.It is equally significant that these elections have been completely free of violence--- which is a rarity in the Global South. In the first General Election itself, two states came under an opposition party. Today, four out of the 13 states in the Federation are in opposition hands. There has never been a single moment in Malaysian electoral politics when the opposition has commanded less than 35 per cent of the popular vote.

Security.

1)If the issues raised by Bersih should be viewed in their proper context, so should the public give due consideration to the question of security which is expressly stated in Article 10 (2), a, b, and c of the Constitution. There is no denying that with three organisations asserting their determination to hold rallies and marches without police permit, the political temperature has increased by a few degrees. Leaders of two of the organisations have received death threats.

2)There is another contextual dimension to the security question which we cannot afford to ignore. In the first Bersih demonstration on November 10 2007, a number of people were injured. There were also similar casualties in theHindraf demonstration on November 25 in the same year. In almost all the reformasi demonstrations from September 1998 to the middle of 2000, individuals and some police personnel were hurt.

3)I had thought initially that Bersih demonstrators should be allowed to congregate in a stadium, in accordance with their constitutional right but I didn’t realise that there was a security issue lurking in the shadows. Apparently, if the stadium option had materialised,certain elements in Bersih, it is alleged, would have turned the stadium to a Tahrir Square, with demonstrators camping there day and night for weeks on end. Of course, the Western media would be there to dramatise the event, especially since both the de facto and de jure leaders of Bersih --- Anwar Ibrahim and AmbigaSreenivasan--- have such close ties to the Western media. It would be a terrible travesty of justice since the Malaysian situation bears no comparison to Mubarak’s Egypt or to thoseautocratic Arab monarchies and republicswhich are now being challenged by their people. None of them is an inheritor to more than five decades of continuous civilian rule legitimised through competitive electoral politics.

Impact.

1)How the proposed July 9 rally and counter rallies will impact upon taxi drivers, traders, shoppers and the general public is yet another factor that deserves our attention.There is a high probability that the rallies will cause a degree of dislocation especially since three different groups with their own agendas are involved. Traders and taxi drivers in the affected areas will inevitably suffer a loss of income. Here again, the past is a good teacher.In previous demonstrations in Kuala Lumpur, people in various walks of life have had to pay the price.

2)It is quite conceivable that July 9 will reinforce yet another unhealthy development which has become more and more obvious in the last two years. Partisan political polarisation is increasing in the country. The BN-PR schism is deepening within the populace. If we do not make a serious attempt to reverse the trend, we may move in the direction of Thai politics which has been severely hamstrungby the cleavage that separates those with the government and those with ThaksinShinawatra.

Motives.

1)There are also ulterior motives behind the Bersih plan that any reasonable person would probe. I am very much aware of this partly because of my own experience with demonstrations and the self-serving politics of the prime mover behind July 9. When I was Deputy President of PartiKeadilanNasional( now Rakyat)(PKR) from 1999 to 2001, the party was solidly behind the reformasi demonstrations. After a while I realized that the demonstrations were taking us nowhere; they were not leading to any democratic awakening among the masses. On the contrary, the people were turning against the party because of the hardship they caused. A number of our activists were arrested, some under the ISA. Most of all, I could see that the demonstrations instigated by Anwar from behind prison walls served only one purpose: to keep him in the limelight, and to get him out of prison.Within the party leadership, I took an unambiguous position against demonstrations. With the exception of Keadilan President, Dr.Wan Azizah Ismail, no one else supported me. The Malaysian public came to know of my opposition to the demonstrations, and the then Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohammad even alluded to it in the media.

2)Anwar’s ulterior motive is even more brazen today. He desperately wants to become Prime Minister, and will resort to any means to achieve his ambition. He is hoping that July 9 will help him overcome some of the obstacles he now faces and give him the boost that he needs. A massive mobilisation of his supporters and fence-sitters on July 9, he thinks, will divert attention from his sodomy trial which begins later in the month and from his sex-video scandal.At the same time, he is expecting the demonstration to create the sort of momentum that will erode support for the BN and shore up his own position. If this impresses his allies and endorsersin some Western capitals they may even give him stronger backing to achieve “a regime change”.

3)Apart from Anwar’s own party, both his PR partners, the Islamic Party of Malaysia(PAS) and the Democratic Action Party (DAP), are also driven by the desire to gain powerthrough the quickest route. For them also the end justifies the means.July 9--- whatever the arguments against it--- is an important stepping-stone towards that goal.

Once Malaysians understand the context--- especially the ulterior motives--- theywill be wary about July 9. They will be able to distinguish the self-serving agenda of a deeply flawed politician from the genuine quest for electoral reform and political transformation. They should not allow such a politician to undermine their future.

Dr. Chandra Muzaffar is a political scientist who has written extensively on Malaysian politics.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Dear Brother Anas,

First of all, I have no doubt of your centrist stance. Having known you for close to 27 years, I think I could state, with some level of authority, that your centrist stance is one which you have embraced all this while. Now you are just utilising that stance for what you think is for the good of the society. I respect that.

As unity is a subject which is really close to your heart, allow me to put my thought to that subject, especially in relation to what you had written in your said open letter.

Unity is a concept, an abstract, if not an intangible one at that. Being an abstract, it cannot be physically measured. It is a state of mind. It exists within parameters of perception. It is not like health or financial success, where someone could declare that our nation is full of healthy people, or that it is full of wealthy people.

I refer to your respond to my article in TMI – Bersih 2.0 – Is there a third alternative?

Over the past few weeks I have gotten the chance to chat with many of my friends who are in business. It seems there is a census among us – the majority of the business people are pro making sure that our elections are freer and fairer.

We would definitely like to see more transparent rules of law and processes in making sure our elections will get the right people who we voted for. But, we also find the uncompromising position taken, that it must be done in KL not wise.

In other words while we are positive about the Bersih 2.0 walk, but we question the wisdom of doing it in downtown Kuala Lumpur ; as we see that there is an alternative that can provide a similar platform to get the message across. I do not know if the majority of us in business feel this way, but my bet is, the sentiment is across the board.

As businesspeople, clearly we have our own biases. We would be biased towards business. Our purpose and contribution to society square on one and only one action – to create a customer and make him or her happy within an ethical framework. Anything that disrupts that purpose is seen as anti-business; be it a weekend march to central KL or an election full of fraud.

Malaysians must understand that while we cannot be purist, what we do is provide them and their children jobs, products and services. We do hope that our feedback is not taken lightly. Our Goal to march and insist for freer and fairer elections can remain, but the platforms can change.

Your article misses many points perhaps because you do not believe in the Middle Way approach. It seems that your article only picked ideas you consider negative, and neglected mentioning the important things that was the crux of my article.

They are:

1.The Rakyat have a right to air their feelings. Peaceful demonstrations are an important part of check and balance in democracy

2.Businesses cannot afford to lose millions of ringgit every time the Rakyat demonstrate

3.We need to also consider the rights of others, as we exercise our rights

4.Avenues for peaceful demonstrations must be provided in places which are as non-disruptive to businesses as possible.

I agree that temporary and moderate sacrifices in material gain and comfort out of the spirit of solidarity are sometimes necessary for achieving certain noble societal goals as you have suggested. But that is not for you to decide. Have you asked the businesses and workers in down town KL? We cannot impose our ideas on others and force them to bear the costs, unless you are willing to compensate them in kind. But we can agree to disagree.

Contrary to your view that I am a Pavlovian grasping for a middle path, I am a Malaysian Muslim who is trying to follow the following verse in the Quran,

“And thus have we willed you to be a community of the middle way, so that [with your lives] you might bear witness to the truth before all mankind, and that the Apostle might bear witness to it before you.” Quran 2:143

Sunday, June 26, 2011

The Quran And I: This collection of essays uses childhood memories to reflect on how the Quran inspires the author daily, beginning with lessons learned from his grandfather up to the time when he launched his now successful business, and beyond. The touching, hilarious and heartbreaking stories are uniquely Malaysian.

Anas Zubedy is, first and foremost, a Malaysian. Born and raised in Penang, his early experiences taught him to love people regardless of race or religion. Once he entered the business world, he realised that Malaysia cannot progress as a whole if some of us are left behind. For years, he’s been putting his money behind his ideals by taking out full page ads encouraging unity in all the major newspapers on various festival days and on Malaysia Day on Sept 16. Zubedy is also the founder and managing director of Zubedy Sdn Bhd, a for-profit organisation with a social cause. His previous books include Have A Meaningful Malaysia.

To Vote for this book to be in the Top 3 Via:

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your SMS should look like this:

RCAN 123445678912 AIB Make me more aware of the quality Malaysians book and authors.

(Note that each SMS will cost RM.0.30; terms and conditions apply.)

2. Entry forms

Entry forms are available at POPULAR and Harris bookstores, or Click here to download

Submit your forms at any Popular or Harris store or post it to:

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100 voters have a chance to receive a RM 50 gift voucher and 1 year free membership POPULAR card from the organizers of the award. We’re also happy to inform you that ‘The Quran and I’ can be purchased at a 20% discount at Popular and Harris stores from now until 2nd October.

Sunday June 26, 2011

Different but stupid

Local marketing guru Anas Zubedy agrees with Ong that the coffin gimmick in the neighbouring republic is not only offensive, but also stupid.

“At Zubedy (training, development and consulting firm Zubedy (M) Sdn Bhd), our principle is that our branding needs to be DBS – different, better and special. The (Indonesian ) coffin sending stunt is also DBS – different but stupid,” he quips, adding that he also does not believe that any publicity is good publicity.

Anas goes further to oppose the term and practice of “publicity stunt” in business.

“The word ‘stunt’ shows that we don’t respect customers. We should not do publicity stunts – we should only communicate our message – as creatively as we can – to our target group,” he says.

Crucially, adds Anas, the publicity campaign needs to be conducted within the framework of ethical marketing foundation, which is based on the values of the culture.

In Malaysia, with our diverse cultures, we have to be culturally aware to avoid making mistakes and offending anyone.

Friday, June 24, 2011

June 23,2011FLASHBACKExactly nine years ago, PAS president Fadzil Mohammad Noor, who was the parliamentary opposition leader, died after a heart surgery. The following is an obituary first published in Harakah and also appeared in London-based Muslim current affairs magazine Crescent International.Fadzil Mohammad Noor, president of the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) and parliamentary opposition leader, died on June 23, two weeks after undergoing heart-bypass surgery.

His death comes at a time when the party he led is struggling against accusations of militancy since the crackdown on ‘Islamic terrorism’ by the Malaysian government. But his departure also comes at the height of PAS’s prominence; under his leadership the party has become a force to be reckoned with.

Let me state my position very clearly. I am a centrist. I do not work for Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat. I do not belong to any political party. I am a rakyat. I am a voter. I vote for the best person for my constituency, not which party the candidate is from.

I firmly believe that what is right is right and what is wrong is wrong, no matter who does it. I care about unity and work to promote unity. I will render my service to any party that will work for unity.

I am one of those people who were glad to see the growing co-operation between the DAP and PAS. I see it as the best gift March ‘08 has given to our nation. When two Malaysian blocs who have avoided each other for decades can now sit down together and share a meal, it is reason to celebrate.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

JUNE 23 — Bersih 2.0 is scheduled for July 9 in the KL city centre. Even now supporters are rallying people to take part. The news has gone viral; many are excited.

At the other end, Perkasa wants to retaliate by having a counter-rally with its own supporters. It is talking about a face-off to see who has the bigger group, perhaps who can shout the loudest. Both parties want to prove a point. Both parties have their right, although I see more sense if Perkasa were to organise its rally on another day, another time.

Meanwhile, a number of police reports have been made by business owners and NGOs opposing the demonstration.

Financial security is something we are more and more concerned about in today’s fast paced world.

However, the Gen Y need to learn that to be successful, it is not only important to work smart, but also to work very hard. We need to learn the values of working hard to make money, without taking short cuts or cheating. We must learn to make money ethically, while keeping our principles.

Zubedy invites Gen Y between 18 – 40 years old to attend our Gathering of Youth for Unity 2.

Places are limited and participation is free. So do sign up early and make sure you attend on the day to make sure no one misses out on this opportunity.

‘Ringgit & SENSE: How to make money while keeping your principles’

What: Activities and discussions for youth to learn about how to make money while keeping our principles. Among topics we will go through are good corporate rules, how to apply these principles practically, rules for making money and keeping it to prepare for retirement and beyond.

About Me

Born in Penang, speaks English, Malay, Hokkien & some Tamil. Managing Director and founder of zubedy (m) sdn bhd. Graduated from University Malaya and was in marketing for a multinational before setting up zubedy in 94. www.zubedy.com

Tweets

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Copyright

No part of this blog should be used for commercial purpose. Any party may reproduce or quote materials published with the condition that they are credited to letusaddvalue.blogspot.com thanks, anas

#NoFreeRides

A promise made in 2001

I intend to ADD VALUE to everyone and anything that I come to interact with and make the world a better place.

As this is an unending journey, I will never achieve my dreams … not in their fullest form. They are too far away in the idealistic world... but,

" The quest of truth will set you free, even if you never catch up with it".

I am one of those dreamers who have found a practical formula of living for today (compartmentalization) and try to achieve parts of my dreams a moment at a time, part by part. It is okay to die without achieving all the lofty dreams, as the spirit will be passed on to others, who are dreamers too.

I also plan to be rich, very rich! Not for the money but for the use of money as a platform to help me achieve my ideals. God willing, you will see advertisements in the near future communicating universal values and spirituality by ZUBEDY the Brand. (check out http://www.zubedy.com/) Encourage schools and libraries and sponsor the poor's basic needs of food, shelter and education.

I hope to live to a century or two with healthy living, modern medicine and God's permission. Lead a full life, have many children. But not necessarily sired by me. Travel the world to witness God's creation and be at awe with the creativity that greets us wherever and whenever we turn. I want to smell all the fragrance in the world be it the stink of the squatters in Mumbai or the pleasing scent of devotional flowers at a Balinese lebaran.

And to know that each experience has a purpose which is to ADD VALUE to the living, the dead and the unborn.

Children of Indonesia

Taken on the way to Puncak

Children of Bario

On the way to the only working phone line!

Children of Sabah

On the way to Mersilau

Children of Cambodia

At Angkor Thom

Children of Penang

At Pak Ali's house

Children of the zubedys

my nephews and nieces

Beautiful Women Series

One

Beautiful Women Series

Two

Beautiful Women Series

Three

Beautiful Women Series

Four

Beautiful Women Series

Five

Beautiful Women Series

Six

Let us learn about each other's religion, culture and way of life

We know too little about each other’s traditions, way of life and beliefs.

In fact many amongst us may not even know about our own spiritual traditions, scripture and core religious foundation. Most times we delegate our thinking to our religious teachers and later complain about how they go about doing their job.